The rescue plan

So many thoughts going through my head this past few weeks. Holy week since being married to a pastor has become a very scary week in many ways. Every single year since marrying Tim we face some kind of massive stresser during Holy Week. It's inevitable and yet every year we end up surprised by it. This year I had family stress leading up to and including the Holiest of weeks and just when I thought it was over I ended up with Kaleb's lips turning blue during the Easter sermon on Sunday and rushing him to the ER for help with an asthma attack. Needless to say, I didn't have a whole lot of time to reflect on the resurrection. However, yesterday afternoon I was out walking and listening to my iPod, I had the playlist set with music I used to listen to while I spent time in Austria and I was transported back in time to my own resurrection story. Giving my life to God came in stages over a vast amount of time; but it was in Austria, on a snowy drive to Munich on December 8th 2005 that I gave up the old me forever, she died and I was became a new person. Life didn't change much at first, but I did. Gone was the old Laurie and in her place is the woman that writes this now. I didn't change over night either, it's been a journey, a step by step walk that has led me to places I never would have dreamed of. It also hasn't been easy. I think that is the fallacy that often people believe. That you give your life fully to God and everything is simple, life is good, we will prosper and succeed. That's not the reality though is it...? If you yourself have given your life fully to God then you know what I am talking about. It often becomes harder, it is full of sacrifice and yet there is hope where there was no hope, joy where you didn't think you would ever see joy.

I see things more clearly now than I did back on December 8th 2005. I see that this life is temporary, along with all of it's pain and suffering. No stresser during the Holy week will change my knowledge of that. No amounts of visits to the ER on Easter will change that I know my risen King is coming back for me. His rescue plan has begun and one day he will come to bring me home.

I know that Easter is over and this post is past due... but Easter isn't the only time we should be thinking about our new home, our hope, our King who is even now planning his return for us. Today, next week, next month... it doesn't matter when you choose to take the time to think about his gift to us, his sacrifice, his death and his resurrection, rather I think it should be something we think about daily.

Happy belated Easter everyone... may you have a blessed year thinking of the second stage of his rescue plan!